Staggered by the news of Gary Speed’s death. Was with him for much of yesterday. I genuinely cannot believe this. Thoughts with his family

Dan Walker's Tweet

His body was found at 7.08am yesterday at the £2million country mansion where the 42-year-old ex-Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United star, lived with his family.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and there was no suggestion anyone else was involved.

Last night Speed’s devastated wife Louise, 41, and sons Edward, 14, and Thomas, 13, were being comforted by relatives. The manager is understood to have been in the house in Huntington, Chester, on his own overnight.

On Saturday, Speed, who last year was awarded the MBE for services to football, appeared on BBC1’s Saturday football show, hosted by Dan Walker.

Dan Tweeted yesterday: “Staggered by the news of Gary Speed’s death. Was with him for much of yesterday. I genuinely cannot believe this. Thoughts with his family.’’

Strictly Come Dancing star Robbie Savage, 37, himself an ex-Wales international, said Speed had given no indication anything was bothering him when they spoke on Saturday.

“He was upbeat on phone yesterday we were laughing together, talking football and dancing,’’ Savage said on Twitter. The world has lost a great man. I’m devastated. Why! Why! I’ll miss him so much.’’

Just a month ago Savage had arranged for Speed and his wife to watch him on the show.

Fighting back tears, Savage said one of the last things Speed had said was to make sure he did not get a slating from outspoken Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood.

“He was saying: ‘Make sure you don’t get a two off Craig tonight’, you know. That’s what Gary’s like. He always thinks about other people.”’

Last night, detectives were trying to piece together his actions in the run-up to the tragedy.

On November 6, his wife of 15 years Louise, who grew up with him in the same Welsh village of Hawarden, re-Tweeted the quote: “You’ll be surprised to know how far you can go from the point where you thought it was the end.’’

Five days later she posted a quote by US chat show host Oprah Winfrey saying: “If a man wants you nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t nothing can make him stay.’’

Later Tweets dismissed any suggestion the quotes related to her marriage.

His agent Hayden Evans, 55, and best man, said he had given no suggestion he had been depressed.

A Cheshire Police spokesman said the “sudden death” was being investigated for the coroner.

Tributes flooded in. A minute’s silence was held at Swansea City’s match against Aston Villa at the Liberty Stadium.

But the silence soon turned to a round of respectful applause by both sets of fans.

Former team-mate Shay Given, 35, now Villa’s goalkeeper, was seen in tears before the match.

Ex-Wales player John Hartson, 36, due to be a pundit for the game, burst into tears and went home.

Ex England star Ian Wright said: “He was enthusing about things that are coming up, the World Cup qualifying games, he was talking about how well his sons are playing at football, and how he was looking forward to playing against Scotland.”